Paper collector for paper handling machines



V. E. PRATT ET AL Dec. 30, 1947.

' PAPER COLLECTOR FOR PAPER HANDLING MACHINES Filed Oct. 6, 1945 5 Sheets-Shegt l INVENTOR. VERNEUR E. PRATT GEORGE F. GRAY A T TORNEVSV Dec. 30, 1947. I v v. E. PRATT ET AL 2,433,530

PAPER COLLECTOR FOR PAPER HANDLING MACHINES Fil ed oct. 6, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Z 6 INVENTOR. l ERNEUR E. PPAT 7' Z6 I 1 BY GEORGE F. GRAY A T TOPNEVS Dec. 30, 1947. v. E. PRATT El AL PAPER COLLECTOR FOR PAPER HANDLING MACHINES a Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 6, 1945 IN V EN TOR.

VERA/EUR E. PRATT Y GEORGE E GRAY A 7' TORNEVS Patented Dec. 30, 1947 UNITED STATES rernnconnacron FOR PAPER HANDLING MACHINES Verneur E. Pratt and George F. Gray, Norwalk, Conn.

Application ()ctober 6, 1945, Serial No. 620,709

. Claims. a 1

ThlS invention relates to paper collectors for paper handling machines, and while it may be employed in connection with any machine from which papers (hereinafter termed cop'y are discharged and it is desired to collect them, it is particularl valuable as applied to photographic devices as described in the co-pending appication Serial Number 507,939, filed October 28, 1943, and entitled,.Photographic devices and methodof operatingsame.

The aforesaid application discloses aflow camera for making microfilm in which copy comprising papers such as checks, drafts, bills of lading, letters, etc., of various sizes and shapes arefed through a feeding mechanism to be photographed on film. The copy is discharged from thefeeding mechanism and falls by gravity therefrominto a drawer or receptacle below the feeder.

Difficulty is encountered with such devices in keeping the pieces of copy stacked uniformly. ThlS is especially the case with papers that have been handled and which are therefore crumpled or have torn edges. Carbon copies tend to curl and turn over as they fall outof the feeder, and if fed to the-feeder in order (as is the case with serially numbered papers such as checks, etc.) when removed from the receptacle in which they fall, they are no longer in serial order. and some are turned sidewise. The result is that when the operator removes a bunch of such checks, or other papers, she must rearrange them in order and in a uniform manner, which requires considerable time and expense.

The object of the instant invention is therefore to provide a paper collector that will collect papers delivered to it in sequence and to form a uniform pile which can be removed from the receptacle to which they are conveyed by the col-- lector without the necessity of rearranging them.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following specification wherein by way of illustration the invention is disclosedas applied to the device as shown in the co-pending application before mentioned. It will be understood, however, that the disclosure made herein is not limitative of the invention, which is broadly as defined by the appended claims,

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side view partly in section, showing the invention as applied to a feeding mechanism of the general type shown in the aforesaid ap- .plication;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the chute shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the chute on the line 3, 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the chute on the line t, GCfFlgureZ;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View of right hand corner of Figure 4 Lil Figure 6 is a plan view of the collector tray shown in Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the collector tray on the line 1, 1 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view of the collector tray on the line 8, 8 of Figure 7.

The feeding device per se forms no part of the instant invention, and that shown in Figure 1 hereof is substantially the same as the feeder shown and fully described in the co-pending application aforesaid. It is therefore described here only in sufficient detail to make the application of the instant invention understood.

A main belt I0 is driven by pulley ll, whichis driven by a motor (not shown), and 'is' supported at the front of the feeder on pulley l2.

Auxiliary belts I3, l4 supported on pulleys as shown cooperate with the main belt to feed copy introduced between belts in and 13 at I5 across a space It in the focal plane of a camera positioned to scan said space. After the copy passes the space I6 it is engaged by belts l0 and I4, carried around pulley ll between the belts and discharged below the belts as indicated at I l. The copy then falls by gravity into the receptacle [8 which, in the aforesaid copending application, is a drawer slidably mounted in the cabinet l9 below the feeder mechanism as shown.

To avoid the difficulties heretofore mentioned, it has been customary to place in drawer l8 a deflector as shown in the drawer in the aforesaid co-pending application, but the results are uncertain especially with checks and thi papers generally. I

Satisfactory results and automatic stacking of the copy regardless of size and character of paper is accomplished by the following:

A chute generally denoted by the numeral 20 is constructed in any suitable manner to provide a generally V-shaped chute having its upper opening at 2! and its discharge opening at 22.

The body of the chutev comprising the corrugated bottom wall 23, the sides 24, and the top 25, is secured together in any suitable manner as indicated in the drawings, The corrugated slide 26 forms an upwardly extending extension or feeder for the chute and is slidable within the body and has a U-shaped cross member 21 secured thereto which can be hooked over a fixed transverse rod 28 positioned below the feeder mechanism to space the upper end 29 of the chute the proper distance below the discharge point of the feeder mechanism to receive cop I! discharged therefrom.

Extendable ears 3% are mounted upon the top of the chute and extend over the rails 3| of the cabinet 89 or are supported on suitable brackets secured therein.

By grasping the outwardly extending lip 32 on the chute and pulling upwardly on the slide 26,

the overall length of the chute and the consequent position of the discharge end 22 thereof can be adjusted, the interior of the chute being free from transverse cracks or seams which might impede the flow of copy therethrough as the upper slide 26 overlies the fixed bottom 23 and will therefore feed copy thereto, the edge 33 of 26 being above the upper surface of the bottom 26. A collector box having a bottom 3d, side walls 35 and an end wall 35 is constructed as shown in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, or in any suitable manner, and the upper'edges of the side walls 35 have the outwardly extending flanges 31 adapted to support the box in sliding engagement, with the upper edges 38 of the drawer IE, or to support the box on any other suitable supports subjacent the chute 20.

A deflector plate 39, preferably of transparent material such as Lucite, has outwardly extending ears 40 adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the sides 35 so that the plate can be moved to various positions therealong.

The chute and collector box are assembled to the feeder by positioning the chute thereon as previously described and placing the collector box subjacent thereto.

The chute 20 is pulled forward toward the deflector plate39 for small copy (checks, cards, letters, etc.) and pushed to the rear away from said plate for large copy (14 x 17 ledger sheets- 8 x 14 legal documents, etc.). The position of the collector box in relation to the chute and the angular position of the latter is important, and the operator should try various positions of the box, sliding it back and forth on the edges 38 of the drawer l8 and adjusting the chute relative thereto, until the best position is found foreach size, thickness and condition of the copy delivered thereto. When the proper adjustment is at tained, it will be found that the pieces of copy will fall into the chute, go down the same, their bottom edges encountering the deflector plate 39 at the proper angle to properly stack the copy in serial order near the front of the collector box from which they may be removed and filed without rehandling.

By having the drawer l8 partially open, or by hinging the front of it, the fall of copy into the collector box can be observed by the operator through the transparent deflector plate 39 while the machine is in use, and the feeder stopped when the stack of collected copy is sufficient to require its removal.

The operation of the chute will be understood by reference to Figure 1. The copy l7 discharged by the feeder will first encounter the corrugated slide 26. Usually the lower edge of the copy will strike the'slide, which deflects it into the upper opening 2| of the body of the chute. The copy is kept more or less vertical in the chute. If the leading edge of the copy has any tendency to curl outwardly, it will encounter the top of the chute 25 or the corrugated wall of the bottom 23 thereof. The copy passes out of the discharge opening 22 of the chute, and because of the angularity thereof, the lower edge of the copy will strike upon the deflector plate 39, which is placed at such an angle to the discharge end of the chute that the copy cannot turn over but the lower edge of same slides down the deflector plate 39 into the collector box, which is so shaped as to receive the pieces of copy one on top of the other to form a stack, the pieces of copy lying flat one on top of the other in serial order.

The slide and the bottom of the chute being corrugated, and the chute ,being of V-shape formation, air currents generated by the passage of copy therethrough tend to keep the copy more or less flat until the copy is released from the bottom of the chute and falls over on its side as previously described.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a feeder having a discharge end for discharging copy, a chute having a sliding member at the top thereof having its free end fixed subjacent the discharge end of the feeder, a collector box subjacent the discharge end of said chute, means on said chute for supporting the lower portion of same upon said box, said chute being slidable therealong whereby the position of the discharge end of said chute may be varied relative to said box. 7

2. In combination, a framework, a feeder supported thereby, an inclined chute depending from said feeder, a collector box within said framework below said chute, and a deflector plate in said box extending transverse the longitudinal side walls thereof and adjacent the lower end of said chuteand positioned at an angle thereto to engage copy issuing from said chute to deflect said copy to said box.

3. In a device of the character described, a casing, feeding mechanism therein having a discharge end near the rear of said casing and within same, a collector box in the lower portion of said casing, and a chute in said casing having its upper end fixed in relation to the discharge end of said feeding mechanism and its discharge end positioned transversely adjacent said box and adjustable therealong.

4. In a device of the character described, a casing, feeding mechanism therein having a discharge end near the rear of said casing and within same, a collector box in the lower portion of said casing, a chute in said casing having its upper end fixed in relation to the discharge end of said feeding mechanism and its discharge end adjacent said box and adjustable therealong, and an adjustable deflector plate adjacent the discharge end of said chute and forward of same in said box, and adapted to deflect copy discharged into said box by the chute.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing, feeding mechanism therein having a discharge end near the rear of the casing and within same, a drawer in the lower portion of said casing, an adjustable chute within said casing between said feeding mechanism and transverse said drawer, and a transverse deflector plate in said drawer adapted to deflect copy delivered by said chute to said drawer.

VERNEUR E. PRATT. GEORGE F. GRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 801,252 Koller Oct. 10, 1905 1,212,524 Lucas Jan. 16, 1917 1,241,436 Peterson Sept. 25, 1917 1,264,527 Kannenberg Apr. 30, 1918 2,076,391 Whitehead Apr. 6, 1937 2,093,992 Bra-am Sept. 28, 1937 2,273,476 Shaffer Feb. 17, 1942. 

